In ancient Hawaii, surfboards were originally used as a luxury and a status symbol. Nobles rode boards that could be as long as 25 feet, referred to as Alii boards, while others used 7 foot long boards, referred to as Alaia boards. These boards were usually made of wood, which made the boards incredibly heavy.
Over time, changes were made to the original surfboard to reduce its size and its weight. This lead to the creation of the hollow surfboard. One of the very first hollow surfboards was the Cigar Board, which had holes drilled into a redwood board with an additional wood encasing. The Cigar Board went on to become the first surfboard to be mass-produced. Eventually, balsa wood reduced the weight of a surfboard by a precipitous amount, which allowed for increased portability. Redwood and plywood would also be substituted when balsa wood was not otherwise available.
The next innovation in the surfboard sphere was reshaping the design to make it more hydrodynamic. Surfers began tapering the tail end of their boards to help maneuverability on the ocean surface. This increased maneuverability helped riders navigate on the curl of a wave and allowed riders to maneuver in the “pipe” of a wave, leading these boards to be referred to as “hot curl” boards. A fin redesign created the fixed-tail fin, which increased maneuverability and directional stability. This was further iterated on and lead to the creation of the double fin and the triple fin.
After World War II, fiberglass was used to create lighter boards for riding waves, as was plastics and styrofoam. Eventually fiberglass was layered over an expanded polystyrene core to create a board that was stronger and lighter. A shortboard was eventually created, reducing the length of a surfboard to around 6 feet, allowing surfers to more easily ride in the pocket of a wave. The shortboard further increased maneuverability, allowed for greater performance style surfing, with sharper turns and greater acceleration.
As a result, surfboards are now made of relatively light material to support an individual standing on them on an ocean surface. Additionally, the material is strong enough to withstand breaking waves. Modern surfboards are made of polyurethane or polystyrene foam covered with layers of fiberglass cloth, with a polyester or epoxy resin, though some boards are experimenting with carbon fiber and Kevlar composites. Incremental, quality of life changes to the surfing experience, like combining a suction cup with a surgical cord to create a surf leash, also helped adapt surfboards to modern needs and increase portability. Surfboards now exist for almost every type of wave and skill level.
For example, standup paddle boarding (“SUP”) is an extension of prone surfing. SUP allows boarders to stand on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves through water. Some have combined the SUP with hydrofoil, a lifting surface that operates in water, to create a foilboard. A foilboard is a surfboard with a hydrofoil that extends below the board into the water. This design causes the board to leave the surface of the water at variable speeds. The hydrofoil uses a stand-up design to allow a rider to glide with a moving wave.
However, a foilboard relies on harnessing swell energy to propel a rider. As speed increases, a foilboard creates lift. Instead of creating drag, speed is increased because the foilboard is lifted out of the water. If attached to a craft, such as a boat, the craft must be moving fast enough to achieve enough fluid flow speed over the hydrofoil to create lift. For an individual on a board, this requires high athletic ability to operate. Novices who have little experience on a SUP, or who otherwise have little athletic ability, may not be able to easily use a foilboard.
Athletic riders of foilboards have learned to reduce the length of the SUP to shorten the SUP to almost the size of prone surfboards, with some riders eliminating paddles. By using an energetic rocking and pumping motion, these riders are able to ride these boards through flat water between the waves once they have initiated some speed by taking off on a wave or sometimes an ocean swell. Through this vigorous rocking and pumping, these riders are able to propel the board onto the next wave and across considerable distances. Others use a boat to get pulled to start initiating some speed. Once they let go of the rope, they use the pumping and rocking motion to sustain the distance of their ride.